WVSU to be Testing Center for Administrative Professional Exam

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) has been approved as a testing center for those seeking certification by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).

Previously, those seeking IAAP certification had to travel outside West Virginia in order to take the exam. In November, the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) Exam will be offered at WVSU.

“In many instances CAP certification helps administrative assistants (admins) acquire raises and promotions,” said IAAP Charleston Chapter President Natalie Proctor. “It also helps admins become more marketable and can add a sense of security in an unstable job market. It's one thing to say you are an admin, but to be able to qualify it is another.”

The CAP rating is the most widely recognized and accepted business credential for administrative assistants. CAP holders must re-certify every five years and they must earn a minimum of 60 continuing education credits to do so. The exam is offered in May and November at approved testing centers.

In advance of the November exam, a review course will be offered at WVSU through the Continuing Education Program.

While details of the review course are being finalized, Proctor said it would cover the main sections of the CAP exam which include: communication, organizational planning, information distribution, records management, financial functions and human resources.

In order to sit for the CAP exam an applicant must have experience in the administrative support field; however, the number of years of experience is dependent upon the education level of the applicant. IAAP recommends 3-6 community college credit hours for each area of the exam but they are not a requirement for the exam itself. Also you do not have to be a member of IAAP to sit for the exam.

West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi-generational institution, located in Institute, W.Va. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service, and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.